WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- A new study published on Friday found that people were over 5 times more likely to have COVID-19 if they were unvaccinated and had a prior infection.
The new study, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), examined more than 7,000 people across nine states who were hospitalized with COVID-19-like illness.
The CDC found that those who were unvaccinated and had a recent infection were 5 times more likely to have COVID-19 than those who were recently fully vaccinated and did not have a prior infection.
The data demonstrate that vaccination can provide a higher, more robust, and more consistent level of immunity to protect people from hospitalization for COVID-19 than infection alone for at least 6 months, said the CDC.
"We now have additional evidence that reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, even if you have had prior infection. This study adds more to the body of knowledge demonstrating the protection of vaccines against severe disease from COVID-19," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. Enditem
